Fire-escape.



A. J. BERG.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16. 1912.

1 203,467. Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

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FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.16. 1912. 1,203,467. Patented 00. 31,1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

ALFRED J. BERG, OF KITTERY, MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO MAX F. C.

GOOSMANN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

1 Application filed April 16, 1912. Serial No. 891,076.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. BERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kittery, in the countyof York and State of Maine, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire escapes of that class which comprise a flexible element wound upon a drum within a casing, said flexible element being provided at its free end with means for connecting it with a window sill or other fixed point of attachment while the casing is carried by the person using the escape, being attached by means of a belt or any other convenient manner, means being provided for checking the rotation of the drum as the flexible element is being unwound therefrom, thus enabling the descent to be safely made.

The present invention has for its object to produce a fire escape of the character described having simple and improved means for checking the rotation of the drum.

A further object of the invention is to produce a fire escape of the character described in which the flexible supporting element consists of a narrow strip or tape of suitable metal, such as steel, sufficiently strong to sustain any weight that is likely to be imposed thereon and which at the same time will be non-combustible and capable of being wound in small compass, thus enabling the entire device to be constructed of such size that it may be readily carried in a trunk or suit case.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the in vention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claim may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fire escape constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a view in of the casing separated, side by side to ex-.

Patented'Oct. 31, 1916.

pose the interior mechanism. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 in Fig. 2, and showing the parts of the casing disassembled. Fig. l is a vertical sectional view taken on the line fir-'4 in Fig. 2, and showing the parts of the casing assembled. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 in Fig. 1. Fig. .6 is a perspective detail view of the key or handle used in connection with the device.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The casing of the improved fire escape is composed of two similar parts or side members 1, 1 which are provided on their opposed faces with flanges 2 aflording bearings for a drum shaft 3 the ends of which are provided with cranks 1. The opposed faces of the side members 1 are also provided with bearing lugs 5, and the side walls of the members 1 are provided with half boxes or bearings 6 combining with the lugs 5 to afford bearings for trunnions 7 on a pair of cylinders 8 which are mounted for oscillation within the casing. The lower ends of the cylinders have detachable caps 9 threaded thereon, and the upper ends of the cylinders are provided with glands or packing boxes 10 for the passage of the stems 11 of the pistons 12 that are disposed for reciprocation within the cylinders. The upper ends of the piston stems 11 are pivoted on wrist pins 13 upon the cranks 1,

. and one of said wrist pins has a threaded extension 1 1 accessible through a circular opening 15 in the side of the casing for the attachment of a key or handle 16. One of the side members of the casing is provided on the face thereof with projectionsor dowels 17 adapted to engage recesses 18 in the opposed face of the other side memher for the purpose of facilitating the accurate assembling of the device. 7

The drum shaft 3 has aflattened portion or face 19 provided with a lug or stud 20 for the attachment of one end of a flexible metallic tape 21 which is made of steel or of any other metal or' alloy that may be deemed suitable for the purpose, said tape being provided at itsfree end with a hook 22 adapted to be made fast to a window sill or other convenient point of attachment. The cylinders 8 are to be filled with some suitable liquid, such as alcohol, and the pistons operating 111 said cylinders are each provided with a small aperture 23 through.

which as the piston reciprocates, the liquid will pass, the rapidity of the movement being governed by the size of the aperture and the density of the liquid.

lVhen the side members of the casing are assembled in proper relation they may be securely connected together by means of a screw or bolt 24. The side members of the casing are also provided with recesses 25 for the reception of connecting members, such as straps 26, secured by means of screws 27 for the purpose of reinforcing the construction and keeping the casing members securely assembled.

The tape 21 is normally wound about the drum shaft until only the end carrying the hook 22 projects through a slot or opening 28 in the wall of the casing. The casing, for convenience in operation, may be provided with keepers 29 for the attachment of a belt or strap whereby it may be attached to the operator. A sling or saddle to afiord a seat for the operator may also be provided, as is customary in this class of devices, but as it does not form a part of the present invention, it has not been illustrated.

In the operation of this device, it is only necessary that the hook 22 be firmly attached to a window sill or other screw point of attachment, the operator permitting himself to drop through the window, it being understood that the casing of the device is securely attached to the body or clothing of the operator or firmly grasped. The weight upon the casing will unwind the tape from the drum, the rotation of the latter being checked by the reciprocation of the pistons in the cylinders filled with liquid, the speed being governed as hereinbefore stated by the size of the apertures in the pistons which may be regulated, according to the approximate weight intended to be carried by the device. The handle 16 when attached to the threaded extension 14 of the wrist pin 13 may be utilized for rewinding the tape on the drum shaft3, when required, and it will also serve when the device is in use as a handle which may be grasped by the person who is descending for the purpose of obstructing the rotation and thereby checking the descent to minimize the risk or danger by a too rapid descent in the event of the device being loaded too heavily to be sufficiently checked by the normal resistance offered by the reciprocation of the pistons in the cylinders filled with liquid. The circular opening 15 in one side of the casing is provided in order to permit the use of the key or handle without any obstruction as the latter swings in a circular path or orbit; said handle is made detachable in order to facilitate the packing and storing of the device.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

In a device of the class described, in combination a pair of similarly-shaped side members, each of said members having edges adapted to contact and formed upon their edges with alining bearing members forming circular bearings when said sections are united, a medial forwardly projecting boss formed upon each of said sections and provided upon their edges with complementary bearing recesses adapted to register with the first named bearings, cylin ders each having opposing pmtles receivedin said first and second named bearings and adapted to cause said cylinders to be trunnioned for swinging movement in both of said sections, each of said sections beingalso formed with complementary shaft bear-- ings, a shaft mounted in said last named bearings, cranks at opposite ends and diametrically opposite points of said shaft, a plunger in each cylinder, plunger rods secured to said plungers and formed with openings at their projecting ends, wrist pins carried by said cranks projecting through the openings of said rods, a flexible element wound upon said shaft and carrying a hook, one of said sections being bifurcated to provide clearance for said flexible element, and .means for holding said sections together.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED J. BERG. lVitnesses AARON B. Conn, EMIL BERG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

